The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1887-06-18
STATEHOOD.

The movement for statehood just IN
augurated by the call for constitu-
tlonal convention, as announced IN
fridays HERALD, comes at an oppor-
tune time. 1t gives excellent promise
of bearing good fruit. Heretofore there
have been obstacles which were lnsur :
mountable, in the way Of success. On
every occasion when the appeal was
made or a constitution adopted, some
thing presented itself to prevent the
contamination of the public desire.
The objections which were heretofore
raised have now almost entirely dis
appeared, the arguments which in the
past we're employed to defeat the
scheme, can be used no longer. What
used to be urged against the TerritOry's
admission cannot now be brought for
ward. A wonderful revolution has
been wrought during the past decade.
The change in local public sentiment and
opinion is also great; many OF those who
formerly bitterly opposed statehood,
are to-day ready for it, honestly de
sire it, and will earnestly work for it.
They realize the changed condition of
affairs, and are p0w prepared to labor
for what they at one time assumed
would be a dangerous experiment if not
a downright evil. Hitherto the oppo-
sition has been confined largely, almost
exclusively, to the non-Mormon por-
ton of the community; now, many of
the intelligent and leading non-Mor-
mons are as DESTROYS for statehood as
the Mormons who have ever been
clamorous for their rights as eHfens OF
the Republic. They realize nat the
social, political and industrlaA progress
of Utah, so desirable to all classes,
can only come through State govern
ment in which the people will have con-
troll of their affairs and can do such
things with their own as will be for the
best interest of Utah. They under
stand that with statehood, the aim
and effort OF all will be to build grand
and glorious commonwealth; and that
the causes of the long continued and
ruinous quarrels having disappeared,
we can unite for the common good.
While Utah remains a Territory it
must necessarily be kept in the back
ground; there will be factions and fac
tons; there can be no harmony. Be
sides the local disputes and petty quar-
rels so disastrous to social and indus
trial prosperity, the influence of the
general government will be more orless
injuriously felt, less, perhaps, on &C
count of what it does than because of
its denial to citizens OF the right of self
government, to which all Americans
think they are entitled.
Without harmony, while factions are
-waging unreasonable and senseless war
against each other, there can be little
progress. We predict that with the
passage by Congress of an enabling
act, there will come a nearer
approach to public harmony and
good feeling than has been
experienced here in quarter of cen
fury, and with the coming OF this good
feeling will also come an era of social
and industrial progress, such as will as
tonish and delight ali true friends of
Utah.
AS remarked, the statehood move
nent is timely. Utah is better pre-
pared than ever before to enter the
Union, and We believe the nation is
ready to admit her and greet her with a
hearty welcome. 1t remains for the
people to work wisely and intelligently
to the desired end. Let US unite, that
is to say, let the bons 6de citizens of
Utah unite, in framing and adopting
constitution with which no true Am
srican can find fault, and of which all
may feel proud; let us adopt such a
constitution as will make it impossible
Tor any reasonable objection to be pre-
Sented to it in Congress; and having
done this, let US go to the National
Legislature with q frank and manly
request, that having conformed to the
legitimate requirements, and shown our
ability to perform our part as an Amer
lean Stats, we be accorded our rights as
citizens of the Republic and residents
of the vigorous and ambitious common
wealth of Utah. Let US assure the ma
ton that we can go ahead faster, and
achieve more if left to ourselves than
when handicapped and hampered by
outside expressions and local dissen-
tions, the latter being largely the fruits
of the unrepublican Territorial system.
THE HERALD believes the Fiftieth
Congress will admit Utah to the Union,
and it invites all friends of the Terri
tory to work with It to bring about that
desirable end
JossPH LANG, one of the bishops of the